Hunters and Gatherers Be Wary - Some Reused Children's Products Can Be Dangerous

by tedgar | More from this Blogger

24 Nov 2009 11:15 PM

We had a Storkcraft drop side crib. The cribs were also sold under the Fisher Price label, and they are now the focus of a massive recall across the US and Canada due to concerns about. Thankfully, with a preschooler our crib days are long behind us. However, I now have a lingering sense of guilt. Like many others, we sold our lovely crib through a consignment store, and the people who purchased it will now have to retrofit the crib to make it safe.

This got me thinking, though. I am a dedicated reuse advocate. The hunting and gathering at the thrift store give me a thrill. I love to get bags of used clothing from other people from my daughter. If it's not in the bags, we hit the thrift stores to find her some "new" clothes. Most of her toys are from thrift stores or they're hand-me-downs from friends and relatives. She doesn't care. But there are a few things that I am absolutely devoted to purchasing new. What are they?

Car seats. I love the 5 point harness kind, even for preschoolers. I want my daughter to be as safe as possible in the car. I don't want to buy a used car seat because I can't say for sure that it hasn't been in an accident. Also, used car seats that are from another country or past their expiry date could be illegal or dangerous to use.

When I head to the thrift store, I avoid buying anything plastic that goes into my daughter's mouth. I began as a devotee of wooden toys, but we've now become a mass of plastic - Lego, mostly. However, I am a little concerned when I hear about BPA leaching into objects that go into the mouth - things like sippy cups. I try to avoid buying used plastic containers, water bottles, and the like for my daughter to use.

Although I buy used athletic equipment, I'm careful. I check everything and purchase it from a reputable store. We also buy our safety helmets new.

Does your preschooler play with, wear, or eat from hand-me-downs or thrift store finds? What are your safety boundaries?

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Tricia Edgar is a mom of one lovely daughter. Before her daughter was born, she decided to be guided by the needs of her child, and this led her to attachment parenting philosophies.

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